Hail Maps and Reports: What They Do Not Prove About One Roof
A hail map can provide weather context. It does not, by itself, show that a particular roof was damaged, identify the damaged components or establish the required repair. Read the map's method and limitations before treating a colored area as a property inspection.
Identify the kind of record
A report of hail observed at a location differs from a modeled hail swath. A forecast differs from either. Save the title, issuing organization, date, time zone, legend and method explanation with the image. A cropped screenshot without its legend leaves important questions unanswered.
The Storm Prediction Center describes its real-time storm reports as preliminary. A preliminary observation is useful context, but its status should travel with any copy you share.
Ask what connects the report to this roof
Record the property's position relative to the reported point or mapped area. Then ask an inspector to document the roof itself. Nearby observations are not photographs of your shingles. Absence of a nearby report is also not a substitute for examining a visible problem.
Manufacturer guidance explains that shingle response to hail depends on several factors, including impact angle and shingle condition. That is why a single reported hail size cannot diagnose every roof. See IKO's hail discussion.
Keep the evidence in separate columns
Use “weather context” for the report and “property findings” for photographs and inspection observations. Add a third column for unresolved connections: Was this component inspected? Is the mark new? Can its cause be identified?
A useful submission says, “This report may relate to the observed conditions; please assess the property evidence.” It does not claim the map proves a covered loss. Arrange roof condition documentation when the physical question remains unanswered.